The fabled ‘silly season’ is with us once again, as every other story featured at football media outlets is packed with gossip and rumours, writers tapping away feverishly at their keyboards. But during the 2022 summer transfer window, Manchester United is preparing to be busier than ever, following the arrival of Erik ten Hag as their new manager.

The Dutchman has already drawn up a lengthy shortlist of targets, eager to get any business done as quickly as possible, amidst what promises to be the start of a squad rebuild at Old Trafford. Inevitably, this has led to plenty of speculation surrounding potential signings, leading to practically anyone who can kick a ball being linked to the Red Devils.

Reportedly earmarked as the marquee signing of this new project, Ten Hag appears to have set his sights on a former pupil under his coaching tutelage at Ajax, it seems that destiny awaits midfielder Frenkie de Jong. The only questions are whether he actually wants to play in England, along with how much Barcelona are willing to accept for his departure.

At the moment, many bookmakers are convinced the lure of Ten Hag will be too good for De Jong to resist, especially considering the former Ajax manager made him the player he is today. This includes the those reviewed as being amongst the best football betting sites, featuring in the latest guides provided by SBO, whose experts focus on every aspect of betting on the beautiful game.

After his emergence in the Eredivisie and European competitions with Ajax, several top clubs around the continent were chomping at the bit for his signature. Eventually, it was Barcelona who made their move in January 2019, offering Ajax an irresistible initial fee of €75 million plus bonuses, ahead of De Jong switching clubs in July of that year. 

Adapting proved somewhat difficult at first, although with more games and growing confidence, the Dutch international gradually and impressively found his feet in Spain. Unsurprisingly given the warmer climate of southern Europe, the young midfielder also became increasingly enamoured by the lifestyle and culture, which may be the first obstacle in the way of any move to northern England and famously rainy Manchester.

Regardless of growing speculation about his future in Barcelona, as fan site Cule Mania pointed out in April this year, De Jong and his partner have just invested in a luxury property worth €5 million. Having previously rented a duplex, this would suggest the player now regards the Catalan city as his permanent home, keen to lay down roots and with little genuine thoughts towards going elsewhere.

Likewise, given the sizeable outlay Barcelona made to sign De Jong in the first place, should they even be willing to consider selling one of their best players, it’s only natural the club would seek to profit from any such transaction. Estimates vary according to whichever outlet you may read, although in the Spanish press, the common valuation being quoted is in excess of €85 million.

Such a sizeable sum would punch a big hole in the Manchester United transfer budget, which ranges anywhere from €180 million to more than €250 million, English media sources have claimed. But there’s also an important caveat worth considering, should the Premier League club wish to pursue their interest in signing De Jong.

The fact that Barcelona are mired in financial difficulties is common knowledge. This is what ultimately led to the departure of Lionel Messi to Paris Saint-Germain, given his wages were no longer affordable. Truth be told, they were never actually affordable at any time during the latter stages of his time at the club, under a free-spending regime that essentially swept and impending economic disaster under the proverbial rug.

Heading into the 2022-23 season, Barcelona is currently the only Spanish club with a negative spending limit, under the increasingly strict economic limits applied in La Liga, as financial media outlet Bloomberg recently highlighted. Before they can register any new player signings, they must first achieve a positive balance insofar as wages and transfer spending are concerned.

Regardless of any desire to close a quick deal for De Jong, it could be worth Manchester United taking a more patient approach, as playing the waiting game may actually save them a lot of money. As the weeks roll by and Barcelona become increasingly more desperate to raise fund, they might also become willing to reduce their asking price for the player.

Although any such approach always runs the risk of other clubs taking interest, should De Jong actually leave Barcelona this summer, it would seem to be a given he would prefer to join his former Ajax boss at Manchester United. They will undoubtedly be aware of this, meaning the dire economic situation at Barcelona would also work in their favour.

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